For Love
by malectho
Summary: A grotesque, power hungry man has had his eye on Emma since she was child. On her 23rd birthday he sets out to make her his bride. It's up to Lieutenant Killian Jones to save her from an awful fate. Enchanted Forest AU. No curse, but lots of CS goodness.
1. Chapter 1

**This is an Enchanted Forest AU, so no curse. Yeah you guessed it… Princess Emma and Lieutenant Killian Jones. Hopefully by the end of this prologue, you'll know who the villain is, if you don't there is this wonderful thing called google.**

**Oh and fyi this is just a prologue so don't expect much.**

**18 years ago**

The man fidgeted with his hands as he made his way down the great hall, he did this to keep his hands from trembling. He had made this deal countless times before, in fact he had done it with ease. However this time was, as his master put it, "the one that counted."

At the end of the hall stood a man and women draped in fine clothes, each with two guards flanking them. Although they stood with the same grace and sophistication that all royals did, he could tell from their expression that both were annoyed with his sudden arrival.

"Your majesties," he said with a courtesy. "I am humbled that you would take the time to meet me on such short notice. My master sent me here with great haste to-"

"Enough with the pleasantries," the king demanded. "The only reason we agreed to meet with you was because you said it involved the well being of our child."

In a softer, yet still insistent tone the queen asked, "Is there something going on. Is someone planning to hurt our daughter?"

The servant laughed at this. The king who was usually incredibly calm, was angered by this. He grabbed the man by the collar of the shirt and pulled him close.

"Do you think the safety of my daughter is a joke!" He yelled in the man's face. Sure, the servant had been threatened before, but the protective tone in the king's voice, and the look in his eyes, made him shrink in his grasp. He tried to pull away, yet the more he struggled the tighter his grip became.

"_Charming!"_ The queen said in a voice not unlike the kind one would use when scolding a child.

The king looked at his wife, and then at the man who appeared to be quivering in fear. After a moment of hesitation, he released the servant, who then stumbled a few steps away from him. He looked at his wife apologetically, but all he had for the servant was a look of disgust and hatred.

"My apologizes, your highness. I was only laughing at the irony of your wife's statement," the servant tried to explain. "You see I'm not here to discuss and ill fate for your daughter, but a chance for happiness. I come here on behalf of my master, an extremely wealthy man, who is held in high regard by many. He has heard of your daughter, and wishes to make her his bride when she is of marrying age."

"Absolutely not," the queen said. "We have no intentions of choosing the man our daughter is to be betrothed, when she is to marry it will be for love."

"Not to mention your master would be much to old no matter what his age, because our daughter is only 5," the king added.

"Age is not a problem," he assured them. "My master is extremely powerful and blessed with the rare gift of immortality. If they were to wed they would be the same age."

"How do you expect us to even consider you offer if you continue to address him as 'your master'?" The queen questioned.

"He is afraid it might sway your decision," the servant replied.

"It matters not," the king decided. "As we said our daughter will marry for love and only love." The king took his wife's hand and began to walk away from him.

"Please!" the man shrieked and threw himself at their feet, and grabbed the king's arm. "You must accept his offer. You couldn't begin to understand the consequences of refusing."

The man had a crazed look in his eye, one of the rabid wolves that would sometimes threaten small villages. The guards had drawn their swords and were pointing them at the man who had dug his fingernails into their king's arm.

Just before blood could be shed a high pitched squeal echoed through the hall.

"Mommy!" A little girl said. She was wearing a silk blew dress, that was covered in mud, and her hair was in a bun with strands falling out everywhere. She ran over to her mother oblivious of the situation around her. "I made a friend at the docks today. His name is Liam and he has a brother named-"

"Hello," the servant said moving away from the king, and kneeling so he was eye level with the girl. "And what's your name little one?"

"My name is Emma," She said brightly offering her hand for him to shake.

"Emma," He said and smiled down at her. "Say…how would you like to-"

"Snow," The king said suddenly stepping between the man and Emma. "I think you should take Emma up to her room and get her cleaned up." He scooped up his daughter and kissed the top of her head before handing her to his wife. Snow held her child close, and carried her away, followed by two guards.

"Bye," Emma called over her mother's shoulder, and waved at the man.

"Goodbye sweet child, I'll see you again soon," He promised.

The moment Snow and Emma were out of sight, the king began to drag the man down the hall and toward the entrance.

"I would throw you in a cell, but the dungeons are on the castle grounds and I don't want you anywhere near my daughter," He opened the doors and literally threw the man out. "Leave, and if you ever return I'll make sure the guards put an arrow through your heart."

The man left, utterly and completely defeated. If there was anyone he feared more then that king it was his master. How was he going to explain his failure to such a violent man?

After a large amount of walking, he reached the market where they were to meet. It was crowded at this time of day. However it was easy to spot.

_He was, in fact, the only man with a blue beard._

**Well that's it for now, I hope you enjoyed it. Remember to R&R and follow. Hopefully I will be able to update frequently. The next chapter will have more CS, this was just the prologue.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all, sorry it has taken me awhile. I'd like you to know right off the bat that I will never be one of those people who updates daily. I get stressed out very easily and because of it I get very little sleep. The little energy I have, I usually use on schoolwork. But thank you to all who followed, favorited, and commented. I'll try my best to update once, maybe twice, a week. I'm having a bit of writers block. Oh and for those of you who didn't figure it out, the villain is Bluebeard, I just love that fairytale. I am trying to make it so Killian is a mix of Lieutenant Jones and Captain Hook, if you get what I'm saying. **

**Warning Emma drops the A bomb in this for those of you who faint at the sight of profanity. **

Today was a big day for Emma for two reasons, but only one of them mattered to her. As she stood there watching the ships dock it was clear which one it was.

It had been a year, two months, and three days since she had seen them. They had never been apart for that long before.

"_You three are thick as thieves," her mother used to say._

It was true, ever since they met Emma and the two brothers had been inseparable. She had very few friends growing up, most were only scared of her parents powers, or yearned for it. Liam and Killian didn't care about all of that because they didn't want it. All they cared about was the sea, and bringing glory to their family's name through a hero's journey. Which is why she went down to the docks every chance she got, where Killian and Liam made money doing odd jobs. Emma had no clue where they lived, even though she asked, she just knew they were orphans. Their mother had died weeks after Killian was born, and their father abandoned them some years later. Whenever she offered them money, or a place to stay, they always turned it down, because they said they wanted to earn their way in life.

That never stopped Emma from trying to help, without them knowing. Whenever they got hired by a sailor to unload his boat, she would give the sailor some extra money to give to them and say it was his. Or whenever they gave her money and asked her to go get some bread she would only use a bit of her along with her own, and tell them what she didn't use was change. Whenever one of them turned 17 she would convince her father to give them places in his royal navy.

Admittedly, Emma would wake up every morning regretting that last one. Liam would eventually become the youngest man to ever become a captain, and of course, he made Killian his lieutenant. They started going on voyages for weeks, even months at a time. She cringed every time she though about the last time they left her.

_Flashback_

"_You don't have to leave," Emma pleaded with Liam. "I can talk to my father. There are plenty of other captains that can do this."_

"_You will do nothing of the sort," Liam told her as he loaded more crates onto the ship. "You don't even know what we're doing."_

"_That's because no one will tell me!" Emma complained._

"_Because you'll just overreact," Liam explained. "Besides your father said it is on a need to know basis, and you lass don't need to know." Liam wasn't just her best friend he was like an older brother to her. He was three years older then her, which made him two years older then Killian, and he sometimes found himself talking down to both of them._

_Emma's eyes widened, "So it's dangerous then. That's why nobody is telling me anything!"_

_Liam grabbed her hands like he always did when she was freaking out about something. "Emma I love you, but you have to go."_

"_Liam Jones I am n-"_

_He cut her off by waving Killian over, "Killian get Emma off the boat and say goodbye."_

_Emma leaned forward and gave him a quick hug. "I swear when you get back I'm going to kill you."_

"_I look forward to it Em," Liam told her and after a few seconds pulled away._

"_C'mon love," Emma heard Killian say softy and then placed his hand gently on the small of her back. He guided her down the ramp until they were out of ear shot from the crew._

"_That brother of yours is a stubborn ass," Emma said turning to face him._

"_Don't I know it," Killian chuckled._

_Emma stared into his eyes, which were even bluer than Liam's, which was saying something._

"_I'm going to miss you Killian," Emma said softly._

"_I'll miss you too, Swan," He said with a small smile._

_This made Emma scowl, "I got attacked by a swan once as a child. Let it go."_

"_It was hilarious," Killian laughed._

"_Oh so that's how you want to play it. Maybe I should start calling you Hook," She said referring to the time he the hook from a fishing pole stuck in his jacket…and then fell into the water trying to get it out._

"_Hey that's bad form," He exclaimed._

"_No, it was hilarious," She said mocking him._

_They both laughed, and for a moment Emma forgot that he was leaving. This made all of the pain come rushing back even stronger then before when she remembered._

"_I really don't want you to leave," Emma said again looking into his eyes._

"_I'll be back before you know it," He promised lacing his fingers through hers, a gesture that was almost natural to him._

"_You don't know that," Emma said trying to hold back tears. "Don't make promises that you can't keep."_

_Killian let go of her hand, and for a second she was worried that he would leave, but instead he took one of the rings off his finger. She recognized it immediately, it was his favorite. An admiral had given it to him, in exchange for cleaning the deck of one of his ships. Killian treasured it, because that same man came back the next day and taught him and Liam how to sail._

_Killian placed it in her hand, "I want you to take this."_

_Her eyes widened in shock, "Killian I can't."_

"_I know you hate rings but you can tie it to a chain and make it a necklace, or you can throw it away I just want you to have it," Killian told her. "I'm not just doing this to bring glory to my family's name, Swan. Besides Liam has already done that. I'm doing this because next year you will be 23. Which means you are going to start meeting suitors and eventually, you are going to fall in love with one of them and you'll get married. They'll be royalty, wealthy, or heroes of the Ogres War. I'm nothing but a man who only became lieutenant because his older brother was the captain. But when I come back, I'll be worthy I'll have a chance."_

"_Killian what are you saying?"_

_He took a step forward, "What I'm saying is when I win your heart, Emma, and I will win it, it will be because you want me."_

_Before she could even react, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her firmly on the lips. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. _

_Killian was the first to pull away, but he kept his arms wrapped around her waist for a few moments after, and Emma was to busy savoring this moment, to tell him he didn't have to leave to prove himself to her._

"_Goodbye, Swan," He said and let go of her._

"_Killian wait!" She cried out as tears started to stream down her face._

"_Liam we're ready to set sail," Killian said when he got on the boat. _

_That's when she ran away from the docks, because she could bar to watch it. She didn't want what might be her last memory of him, to be him leaving._

Present Day

Emma recognized it right away. The Jewel of the Realm was her father's finest ship, and by far the largest. When she spotted it in the horizon, she reached up to grasp the ring that she had attached to a leather strip and made into a necklace.

"Their back," She whispered to herself.

What felt like an eternity later, they docked a few feet away from her. The first thing she noticed as people started unloading the ship, was that the crew was about half the size it had been when they left, and her breath caught in her throat when she didn't see Liam or Killian. They promised they would be back, they couldn't be dead.

Then she spotted them, working together to haul a large crate off of the ship, with great amount of difficulty.

Killian spotted her first and nearly dropped the crate on Liam's foot.

"Emma!" He called.

They placed the crate on the ground, and then turned and ran towards her.

She smiled and laughed with relief at seeing them. She walked into Liam's embrace and hugged him. When she looked down at his arm, she noticed a long scar on his wrist.

"Oh my god, Liam," Emma exclaimed and pulled away. "Did someone cut you?"

Killian laughed, and Liam glared at his little brother. "No lass, this came from a rather nasty dispute with a branch that had a surprisingly large amount of thorns."

Emma bit her tongue to hold back laughter, but then composed herself. "I would love to stay and catch up with you boys, but I have to get back to the castle."

"That's right today is your 23rd birthday isn't it," Liam remembered and turned to his brother. "Looks like we got back just in the nick of time."

"And as tradition mandates I need to have a ball where I will mingle with people from the kingdom and meet suitors," She said jokingly, but stared at Killian when she said the last part. Emma was guessing that Liam didn't know, so now was obviously not the time to bring up what happened.

"Sounds like you are going to have a grand time," Killian said with a laugh that sounded rather forced.

"Well so are you because by order of my parents both of you have to attend," She said with a grin. "And before you turn me down I promise that all you'll have to do is dance with beautiful girls, eat gourmet food, and stand in front of the whole kingdom for a few minutes so that my father can thank you in front of everyone."

At that last part both brothers smiled with pride and then turned to look at each other, coming to a silent agreement.

"Well if we must," Liam said sarcastically.

"Good," Emma said with a wink. "Then I'll see both of you there."

And with that Emma turned around to walk towards the carriage that her mother had insisted she take here. It was time for her to go dress to impress. Even though she was only trying to impress one person.

**Okay that was longer than I thought. Anyway soon either the next chapter or the chapter after is going to be the ball scene, and I need your help with costumes, specifically Liam and Killian. Leave suggestions, and try to be detailed as possible because I have no clue what to do. I'll also take ideas for Emma. Thank you all for reading. Now I'm going to go cry because there is no Once tonight.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**Hello lovelies, I have returned. **

**Okay so someone asked about Emma's siblings, and yes I will be including her brother. However in this story he won't be named Neal because Baelfire will make an appearance in this story.**

**Just a friendly remember that Cinderella and Thomas' daughter Alexandria would have been the same age as Emma if the curse had never hit.**

Emma hated balls. She hated the dresses, hate the dancing, and especially all the people. Maybe it would be different if she was just another random person, but she was a princess, and everyone wanted to have the first dance with her, or have a conversation with her.

It was even worse that this one was being held for her 23rd birthday, an age that in the royal family, stands for maturity. Which is why at this ball, she would be searching for a suitor.

Her parents didn't like calling it an "arranged marriage" and technically it wasn't. She was allowed to marry whoever she wanted, but her people expected her to marry someone wealthy, or a foreign diplomat. The fact that her mother had married her father who was once a shepherd was a rare occurrence, and even then there were special circumstances.

Snow White and Prince Charming had married for love, and therefore they wanted Emma too. They told her to only accept a proposal if she was in love, but Emma knew it wasn't that simple. They were close to going to war with Camelot, and an alliance with someone that came from power could turn the tides in the storm that was raging. As a future queen wasn't she supposed to put her kingdom first? But then there was Killian…

It was times like this that Emma wished her brother Leo had been born before her. He was 16, but already had the charm, courage, and intellect of a king, and unlike Emma, he loathed balls and public events. He would have made a great king, but sadly he was born 2nd, so the duty would fall to Emma.

All of these worries were racing through her mind as she sat with Alex in her room waiting for her brother to come and escort her to the ball, as tradition mandated. She should have been there 5 minutes ago. This was her brother's one flaw, tardiness, and for once Emma was thankful for it.

"Would you stop pacing," Alex complained sitting in the chair next to her bed. "You look fine."

"I know that," Emma snapped. She didn't mean to sound vain, but she did look beautiful, something that had shocked even her. Her gown was red, with a full skirt. The corset was incredibly tight, something that she would have usually objected to, but she didn't have the energy to argue.

"Well then why are you so nervous," Alex said raising an eyebrow.

It was easy to see why Alex, or Princess Alexandria, wouldn't understand why Emma was so anxious. She was the picture of sophistication and grace, and had no problem addressing crowds, which would come in handy because her 23rd birthday was next week. In many ways Emma envied her friend, she would have no problem meeting a nice man in her kingdom, falling in love, and getting married. Emma was torn between doing what she should do for her kingdom, and marrying for love like her parents asked her.

"Because I'm meeting suitors," Emma said her eyes wide as she paced the width of her room.

"You do know you aren't choosing who you want to marry," Alex assured her. "You are just meeting all of the eligible bachelors. You can decide later."

"Well when you say it like that it's not that big of deal," Emma said sarcastically.

"Hey I'm just trying to help," Alex said taken aback.

Emma sighed, "I know I'm sorry."

Alex stood up and walked to the door and peeked out into the hallway, and then said over her shoulder, "If your brother doesn't get here soon I swear to god I'll kick his ass."

Hear sweet Alex cuss was enough to make Emma laugh, despite all her anxiety. As if on cue Leo came running in and Alex shot him a look.

"You're late," Alex said.

"I know I'm sorry but there was, uh," He stopped mid sentence and looked at Emma. "Your corset is to tight."

Emma smiled at her little brother trying to be protective.

"That's what I said," Emma told him.

"I would tell you to fix it but we don't have time," Leo said shaking his head. "Mom's going to kill me for making you late."

"Well I'm going to go," Alex said suddenly. "See you guys later."

Emma waved goodbye to her friend and then walked forward to fix the button her brother's collar, but he pushed her hand away.

"I've got it," He said blushing and reached up to fix it.

"Well," Emma said impatiently "Lead the way."

Leo gave her his arm, and then gracefully led her through the hall and to the balcony of the ball room that over looked all of the guests. Three guards stood outside it, along with her parents who were there waiting.

"What took you so long," their mother asked her eyes instantly darting to Leo.

"I was late sorry," Leo said obviously annoyed.

Her mother just shook her head disapprovingly, and then turned to Emma.

"Well are you ready Emma," She said excitedly. It was at this moment that Emma realized her parents were more excited about this whole arrangement then she was. Her happiness was all they wanted.

"Let's get this over with," Emma said with a weak smile.

Her father kissed the top of her head and then led the family onto the balcony. As soon as the people caught sight of them, they immediately stopped what they were doing, and their focus was on them. The people in the kingdom had nothing but respect for the royal family simply because of their kindness.

King David held his wife's hand as he addressed the crowd, Leo stood next to their father and Emma was next to her mother.

"I'd like to thank you all for attending today," Her father stared. "As you all know today is my daughter's 23rd birthday." This was followed by much applause, and people raised their glasses; the whole thing made Emma blush.

Her father looked at her, and Emma realized that was her cue to speak. As she took a step forward, he motioned with his hand for everyone to settle down.

"Well, um…" Emma stuttered, regretting that she hadn't practiced what she wanted to say. "I look forward to meeting all of you, and uh, I hope you enjoy yourself…" She looked at her mother for help.

"Well lets not waste time with silly formalities," She said taking the hint. "Let the festivities begin."

Emma sighed with relief. The orchestra began to play, and guests began to partner off. She left the balcony and rushed to the stairs that led to the ballroom. Before she did anything she had to find Killian she had to-

All of the sudden someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into an empty corridor. She was about to scream for the guards, when she saw his face in the dim candle light.

"Killian?" She gasped, and her shock quickly turned to anger. "What the hell are you doing, you scared me. How did you even get up here."

Instead of answering her, he backed her against the wall and kissed her. It was more passionate then the one they had shared before he left, and Emma loved it. She grabbed the fabric of his shirt and used it to pull him closer to her. For the next few seconds Emma forgot about all of the other suitors, and what was right for the kingdom. Her feelings for Killian were real, and she didn't want to ignore them. If they went to war with Camelot, they would find another way to defeat them that didn't involve Emma marrying someone powerful.

Killian pulled away and rested his forehead against hers,

"Save me a dance, Swan," He said and Emma just nodded. He tucked a loose piece of her blonde hair behind her ear before rushing away, leaving Emma frozen. In that moment, Emma was considering running to her parents and telling them she already knew who she wanted to marry.

Then common sense set in. Her happiness couldn't come first, not when the kingdom was in danger, not when they were so close to a war with Camelot. When she saw Killian she would have to tell him this, surely he would understand.

Emma might not know a lot about being a Queen, but she knew this for certain.

_She could never be happy._

**I know short chapter, but I felt like I had to get something up for you guys. I have been so busy lately, and haven't had the time to write. But I promise I'm back and I'm ready to help you guys get through this hiatus.**


	4. Chapter 4

**That's right darlings, I'm resurrecting this fic. **

**For extra angst listen to Storm on the Sea by Fly Away Hero and Hero by Loma Vista. **

Emma had always wondered where she got her two left feet. It should be a simple thing, counting to three, but she couldn't think, listen to the music, and move her feet at the same time. No, it was just all to overwhelming.

At least tonight her poor dancing skills were doing her a favor. The more she stepped on someone's feet, the less interested they became, and the sooner they rushed off to find someone else. It spared her the trouble of having to turn them down.

There were a few poor souls that didn't seem to care. There was this one dreadful man, who went by Walsh, that didn't even notice because he wouldn't stop talking about himself. The only time Emma got to speak, was when she was answering him when he asked her what she thought of him.

Let's just say he didn't like the answer.

Then there was Graham. She had met him a few times before, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't taken aback by his looks. He was a very wealthy hunter, who had made traveled across many realms, and made some very important friends.

If anyone surprised her it was Baelfire. She recognized him instantly since he was the son of the Dark One. Her initial thought was that she would dance with him, if only to avoid his father's wrath. Instead she found herself actually enjoying her conversation with him. There was something broken about him, something mysterious that intrigued her. At the same time he felt uneasy around him, maybe it was because she thought he could end up being just as deceitful as the man who raised him.

Now she was dancing with a man named August. She really did enjoy his company, she found herself relating to him. His father was one of the most skilled crafters who ever lived, and having him at the royals beck and call would be extremely useful.

"For a princess you sure suck at dancing," August joked when she stepped on his feet.

"For a carpenter's son you really don't know how to use your hands," Emma fired back, referring to the fact that his arms were extremely high up her back, like he was trying to be a gentlemen and not push his boundaries, but instead it was just awkward.

"Ow," August said sarcastically, bringing his hands to his chest. "That really hurt your highness."

"Just call me Emma, please," She insisted.

"Well, Emma," He said and wrapped one arm around her waist and took her other hand as they started to dance again, "It has been a pleasure meeting you."

"Really? That's it?" Emma said in disbelief. "That's your big closing argument."

"It doesn't take a genius to see that your heart isn't really in this. What I think you really need, is a friend," August whispered, and once again Emma found herself tripping over his feet. "And someone to teach you how to dance."

"I couldn't agree more," A voice behind her said, making her jump. "And although it is a rather daunting task, I do think I am up for the challenge."

Emma spun around, and to her shock, she saw Liam. She had been expecting Killian, they are so similar that sometimes even their voices sound the same. But here was the eldest Jones brother, with that stupid smolder on his face, the same one he had perfected years before his little brother.

'You don't mind if I cut in, do you mate?" Liam asked, raising an eyebrow, hinting that he wasn't asking for permission.

August put his hands up and took a step back, "Be my guest," He insisted, and then winked at Emma before disappearing into the crowd.

"Liam Jones," Emma said with a smile and taking his hand to dance. "If you are trying to seduce me I assure you I will not fall victim to your charms."

Liam smirked "Alas Em, I must remain like the sea, as long as it is empty I shall remain alone."

"Those girls staring daggers at me will probably be disappointed to hear that," Emma said looking over his shoulder. A group of girls about Emma's age had gathered near where they were, and Emma knew that if she wasn't a princess, they would be trying to claw her eyes out.

"Sadly, like the sea, people are drawn to me by some uncontrollable force," He said with a dramatic sigh. "It is a curse really."

"Oh you poor thing," Emma said. "Did you want to talk to me about something, because by dancing with you I feel like I'm putting my life in danger."

"I know about you and Killian," Liam told her.

Emma took a step back, shocked by how abrupt he had been. She should have known that Liam knew, he and Killian were brothers, and they'd been away nearly a year. He would have found out whether Killian wanted him to or not.

"There is no me and Killian," Emma murmured.

"Emma don't lie to me, yes there is," He said, his voice stern like when he talks to his crew.

"There _can't _be a me and Killian, don't you get it." Emma desperately wanted him to understand, because if he couldn't, there wasn't any chance Killian would.

"So you do love him,," Liam declared.

"I don't even know if it is love," Emma explained. "I don't have anything to compare it to. Besides you said yourself that sailors shouldn't fall in love, that relationships with them don't work."

Emma started to walk away but Liam grabbed her wrist, and spun her around so she was facing him again. "I think sailors should avoid love at all costs. But once you've found it there is no going back, and its better to not be with that person but still have them, then to have neither."

She was speechless. Liam was usually very easy going whenever they were together, she wasn't used to this seriousness. His words made sense, but him being a sailor wasn't the problem, that's just what she wanted him to believe. Her reasoning for not being with Killian was selfless, but at the same time a terrible thing to do.

His words still made sense to her though. She was falling in love with him, maybe she already had, and she didn't think she would ever be able to get rid of this feeling. Not being with him, if she didn't at least try, would only bring her pain.

So what if Killian didn't bring wealth or power to the kingdom. They might not even go to war with Camelot, and if they did, they could figure something else out. Whatever happened she could face it with him by her side, and that was more precious to her then any amount of money ever would be.

"Why do you always have to be right," Emma sighed. "Where is he?"

"Last time I saw him he was sulking around in the garden," He told her.

"Sulking?" Emma asked, puzzled.

"Things happened on that trip Emma," Liam said, with his head down and eyes shut, like he was trying to block something out, or forget. "I don't if either of us will ever be able to talk about it."

One word crossed her mind, _broken. _Emma had never been good with things that were broken. Her family always hired people to repair the damage. This was even worse, because it wasn't just some random clock that she could always get rid of, this was a person she cared about. Living without him was something she had just decided was impossible, but Emma considered that he might not be the same person anymore.

Before she could ask him anything, he had gone to the group of girls, who were struggling to compose themselves. Under other circumstances, she would have laughed. For a man who never wanted to fall in love, Liam was a shameless flirt. He was going to slip up one day, and he'd be falling before he realized what hit him.

Leaving her own ball was something her parents would disapprove of, but right now she couldn't worry about that. She made her way out of the ballroom, keeping her head down so she wouldn't be recognized by any suitors. When she made it out it was like a breath of fresh air, being away from all the sophistication and pressure. She kicked off the heels that had been killing her feet all night. Then she ran down the hallway, her bare feet slapping against the marble floor.

It didn't come as a shock to her that Killian was allowed to leave the ballroom. All of the guards knew who Killian and Liam were, they had grown up playing here. Anyone that ever tried to make them leave, was punished by her parents, who were incredibly fond of them. They even had their own room that they stayed in whenever there was a storm, or it was to cold. They didn't use it unless they had to, as always the Jones brothers had too much honor to accept charity.

When she found Killian, he was in the gardens, sitting on a stone bench. He'd unbuttoned the first few buttons of his navy uniform, his sleeves were rolled up. His hair was tossled and messy, and he was staring up at the sky, completely motionless.

As she started to make her way towards him, she stepped on a rock, a rather sharp on at that, and when she did she grunted in pain. For the first time, Killian noticed she was there, and looked up. What he saw was Emma standing on one foot, while she lifted the other one up to assess the injury.

"Bloody hell Swan, where are your shoes," He said laughing while shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it," Emma assured him. "It was just a little rock."

"Love, the bottom of your foot is bleeding," He pointed out.

"Killian, I'm not a child it's-" But before she could finish her statement Killian had come over and picked her up caveman style.

"Jones, I swear if you don't put me down-" He interrupted her by laughing at her attempt to sound threatening. Instead of taking her over to the bench, he brought her to the fountain towards the back of the garden. He put her down on the edge of the fountain, and then sat down beside her. Before she could react, he took her ankle and put her foot in the water. Emma bit her lip when the sudden contact with the water made her cut sting.

"You are so lucky we had this thing cleaned yesterday," Emma said to him.

"It wasn't luck, Swan. Remember how we used to play in this thing when we were younger even though you parents begged us not to. Then one day Liam got sick from drinking the water, so your parents started having it cleaned the same day every week."

"I can't believe you remember that," Emma said with a smile.

"Of course I do. Seeing Liam throw up everywhere isn't something I forget easily," He stated.

She smiled at him again, she couldn't help it, at this point it was all she could do with him. She rubbed her bare arms and felt the goose bumps that were creeping up it.

"Emma your cold," He said his voice suddenly full of concern. Once again before she could protest, he had shed his navy jacket and slung it over her shoulders. The brief contact literally sent a shudder down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold, and more to do with the warmth of his touch.

"So what's on your mind love. Why'd you leave your own ball?" He asked her, and when he did her heart sped up. Things were about to become real, and it was terrifying, but exciting.

"I wasn't going to meet anybody there," Emma told him with a shrug.

"Oh really? Because I seem to recall you dancing with that one man an especially long time," Killian said meeting her gaze for only a brief second. In that moment she saw the same thing she had seen in the eyes of the girls that watched her dance with Liam, jealousy.

"Do you mean August? He's great, but I think we're just going to be friends," Emma said. Even after she said it he wouldn't meet her eyes, no matter how hard she tried.

"You'll find some Swan. I don't doubt it for a second," He promised.

"I already have," She answered staring directly at him, hoping he would take the hint.

"Really, who?" He asked.

Emma leaned her forward and turned his face so that he was facing her and then she kissed him It. was the first time she had ever initiated a kiss, and in all honesty it felt weird. For a moment he kissed her back, he brought his hand up so it was cupping her face. Then suddenly he pulled away, even though she never wanted it to end

She didn't know how she expected him to react, but she at least expected him to be happy. Instead he clenched his fists at his sides, and shut his eyes, which basically destroyed any chance of eye contact.

"Emma, we can't" He said through clenched teeth.

"Killian I know it will be difficult with me being a royal, and you a sailor but I'm willing to deal with the distance," She reassured him.

"Swan, that's not why," He said, and he opened his eyes but kept staring at the ground.

"But I thought…" Emma's voice trailed off. Had she misread everything. Was she making a complete fool of herself.

"That kiss earlier tonight, before your ball, was a mistake," Killian explained and then hastily got up.

"A mistake?" Emma said trying to fight back tears. "That's really all it was."

"Emma don't…" He said and stepped forward to put his hand on her shoulder but she pushed it away and stood up, ignoring the slight pain in her foot from the cut.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed, her despair turning into anger. "Why? Is it because you don't love me? Did you ever even care for me? Tell me was it just a big game for you?"

"Dammit Emma of course I love you!" He shouted, and Emma froze.

"Then why?" She asked softly.

"Because I don't want to be king," He said bluntly.

"You don't want to be king. Well then you don't have to-" She tried to explain but he interrupted her.

"Swan, just stop," He pleaded. "Just let it go.

Suddenly it all clicked in Emma's head. He was keeping things from her.

"No, there's more to this then being king," She told him taking a step forward.

"That's all it is," He told her. Finally she understood why he was trying not to look in her eyes, because she could tell just by seeing them that this was hurting him more then it hurt her.

He acted like he was going to say something, but he just shook his head, and ran away.

Just like that he was gone. Yet for some reason she wasn't sad, not anymore. If this would make him happy, she would just have to find a way to bear the pain.

**Next chapter will be the first in Killian's POV. And who knows, you might find out what he's hiding. **

**Oh and I promise, Emma will be a lot more bad ass soon, if her weepiness is annoying you as much as it is me.**


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